Russia is set to build a spacecraft propelled by nuclear energy that will make flight to planets such as Mars possible.
The $600m project will develop the spacecraft, whose nuclear-powered engine would allow it to enter orbit without energy from other sources.
Space expert Yury Karash said that Russia had a fairly good chance of being the first country to launch a non-landing expedition to Mars in 12-14 years, providing that adequate funding were allocated for the project.
The Soviet Union launched a total of 32 spacecraft with small-capacity nuclear propulsion units in the 1970s and 1980s, according to The Hindu.
The project however, faces concerns regarding the consequences in the event that such a nuclear-powered spacecraft crashes.
The draft design of the spacecraft is expected to be ready by 2012 and the actual prototype will be built by 2018.
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